Stickybottle

Nicolas Roche climbing his way to a career best result of 5th overall at this years’ Vuelta a Espana. He has today confirmed he will ride the Giro next year, where he would dearly love to bag a stage win when the race reaches Irish soil for the opening three stages.

Nicolas Roche has confirmed today that he will ride the Giro d’Italia next year.

Having skipped the three week Italian tour in favour of the Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana in recent years, Roche had asked his Saxo Bank team if he could ride the 2014 edition as soon as it was announced that the Giro would spend three days in Ireland next year.

Having spoken with the team at a pre-season training camp this week, Roche received confirmation that he will be in Belfast for the Giro’s Grande Partenza on May 9th next.

“I haven’t ridden it since 2007, when it was my first ever Grand Tour. So it will be a change from my recent race program and will mean a change in training plans and a bit of extra work this winter but I hope to arrive in Belfast in good shape and with some strong teammates.”

“As soon as I heard the Giro was coming to Ireland, I put my hand up and said I wanted to ride it,” said Roche.

“To be able to ride one of the biggest races in the world in Ireland, on some of the roads I raced on as an underage rider, is a once in a lifetime experience. I think having the Giro in Ireland next year is going to be really special for both the riders and the Irish fans. I’m really looking forward to it.”

With Roche and cousin Dan Martin now confirmed for the Giro next year, Irish fans will have plenty to shout about as the race winds its way around Belfast and then down to Dublin over the opening three
days.

Irish numbers in the event could swell even more before the official start with Philip Deignan expected to be part of Team Sky in the ‘corsa rosa’ and both Martyn Irvine and Sam Bennett in with a chance of making their debut on the Grand Tour scene if their respective UnitedHealthcare and NetApp teams earn a wildcard invitation to the race.

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Where did the name come from?

A stickybottle, put simply, is the knackered cyclist’s best friend.
As a rider is being dropped from a group, the team manager or support worker in a following car holds a bottle out the window to hand it up.
As the handover is taking place, the rider grabs the bottle tight, as does whoever is handing it up, enabling the rider get a good tow and push from momentum of the car.
It’s known as a stickybottle because it appears neither the rider nor the person handing it up is able to take their hand off the bottle; it looks stuck to their hands.
But please don’t try this at home. We’ve been slyly cheating this way all our lives; it takes a while to perfect.